Mark Scheifele recorded a hat trick as the Winnipeg Jets beat the host New York Rangers 4-2 on Tuesday night for their third straight victory.
Goaltender Connor Hellebuyck made 38 stops for Winnipeg (44-19-5, 93 points). Kyle Connor also scored for the Jets, while Sean Monahan had two assists.
Alexis Lafreniere had a goal and an assist for the Rangers (45-20-4, 94 points). Alex Wennberg also scored, and Igor Shesterkin made 23 saves.
Rangers forward Matt Rempe was a healthy scratch after finishing up a four-game suspension.
The first period had great pace despite both teams being unable to find the back of the net.
Scheifele scored the first goal of the game 4:04 into the second period, picking up the puck off a floating deflection by Alex Iafallo. It was Scheifele’s 20th goal of the season.
Wennberg responded on the power play in his 700th career game. He tied things up for the Rangers at 9:30 of the middle frame, reaching over to corral a loose puck and roll it over the goal line.
The Jets got the lead back, though, answering with a tally on the man advantage. Connor got his 30th marker of the campaign at 12:18 of the second, finishing off a deflection that found him near the side of the net.
Scheifele kept Winnipeg’s offense moving along, picking Chris Kreider’s pocket at the Jets’ blue line and scoring with a wrist shot at the 17:55 mark of the stanza to put the Jets up 3-1.
Lafreniere cut the Jets’ lead to 3-2 with 1:54 remaining in the third, wiring his 20th goal of the season from the slot with Shesterkin on the bench.
That goal created an exciting atmosphere late, but Scheifele put the finishing touches on the victory — and his hat trick — with an empty-netter with nine seconds to go.
–Field Level Media
